I Love You Came Too Late
by xSlythStratasfaction
Summary: After crying through a viewing of his favorite romance film (and dreaming about singing his preferred wedding song with his ex-boyfriend), Kurt decides to protect his heart by trying to date another man. However, despite his insistence that he's no longer in love with Blaine, he finds himself struggling day after day. Will he finally reveal his feelings or will he shut them away?
1. Kurt

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Glee, nor am I associated with it or RIB. Actually, I just don't own anything - none of the songs or tv shows mentioned in this fic. There we go.

**I Love You Came Too Late**

By: xSlythStratasfaction

Pairings: slight Klaine/Kadam/Seblaine

Warning: This story contains some harsh language and mentions of sexual situations. SPOILER ALERT for episodes after 4x15 (some parts based on rumored spoilers as well.) Title is based on a song by Joey McIntyre. TRIGGER WARNING for mentions of a school shooting.

* * *

Kurt doesn't know what he's thinking the night he logs onto Skype and calls Blaine, but never in a million years does he imagine saying what he does, especially when he just isn't ready to break the news yet. Nonetheless, it ends up spilling out like a cup of tipped over milk, slipping from his lips like it's nothing.

"Adam and I have decided to be exclusive."

It takes him a moment, but then Blaine's looking up from his homework and from what Kurt could see over his blurred computer screen, Blaine frowns for just a second before he brings his attention back to Kurt and plasters the fakest smile Kurt has ever seen onto his face. "Really? Well, that's great. I'm happy for you."

_You're lying_, Kurt thinks to himself, trying his hardest to decipher the strange look on his ex's face. However, knowing that Blaine isn't telling the truth and is probably about to have a mental breakdown didn't stop the rest of the word vomit from forming and coming out. Without warning, Kurt begins talking, finding himself without the power to stop. "Are you really happy for me, Blaine? Seriously?" _God, Kurt, shut up._

"Yeah. I am. You deserve to be happy, Kurt."

_I was happy with you._ "Well, I am. Adam's a great guy."

"I bet he is," Blaine says softly, suddenly busying himself with something below the computer screen. Kurt struggles to catch what Blaine's doing, but then he hears a voice on the other end of the call.

It's a woman - Blaine's mother... yelling for Blaine.

"Coming, mom!" Blaine yells back, looking back up at Kurt for a quick second, his face softening in regret. "I uh- I have to go. It's dinnertime and all and-"

"You can't talk any longer?" Kurt asks sadly, immediately hating himself for blurting out what he did. He knows that his confession is the reason Blaine's leaving; it's just so blatantly obvious, like there's a big glowing sign flicking on and off on his ex's forehead. "We haven't spoken in weeks and-"

"Yeah well... umm I've been busy and so have you, so- I've really got to go, Kurt."

"When can we chat again? Something crazy happened in class today and I wanted-"

Blaine sighs, running a hand over his face. "Sometime later, I'm sure. I just- I have to go. I'll talk to you later, alright?"

"Okay, well good-" Kurt says, his voice breathy. He's unable to finish his sentence though. Blaine's disconnected before the rest of the words can even form on his lips.

_That's_ when Kurt realizes that maybe he's made a big mistake in telling Blaine about Adam.

A big, _big_ mistake.

::

Several weeks go by and Blaine hasn't been on Skype once. Nor has he answered any of Kurt's texts or calls or _anything_.

To get any sort of news at all about his ex or his old friends, Kurt has to go to his roommates for info. From the McKinley rumor mill, Kurt finds out that Blaine's rejoined the Cheerios and sang a few questionable songs in glee club ("_I'm telling you, ladyface, they've got to be about you!_"), but other than that, there hasn't been a word of contact between him or his ex.

And Kurt hates it.

He hates that Blaine's essentially run away from him. He hates that somehow Blaine is upset with him over trying things out with Adam. But most of all, he's kind of angry that Blaine even has the audacity to get upset over him dating again, especially after what _he_ did.

But, despite his anger and disgust at the whole situation, then there's this little birdy on his shoulder (who looks a _lot_ like Pavarotti – may he rest in peace) that loves to remind him that he went to Ohio during the week of Valentine's and pounded the hell out of Blaine's ass (and vice versa) in a hotel room (and at his house and Blaine's house and in Blaine's car and so on and so forth) under the guise that they were just friends helping out friends... knowing damn well that Blaine's still head over heels in love with him.

And, of course, that Kurt's still in love with him, but Blaine doesn't need to know that.

It's only a few days after Kurt's told by Rachel about Blaine's strange choice in songs in glee club that Santana accosts him in the kitchen.

"You do realize he's ignoring you because of Doctor Who, right?"

Kurt sighs and sets his cup of coffee down on the counter. Based on Santana's tone of voice, he's about to listen to a lecture and he's really not into it, having been completely wiped out at dance class earlier, but he'll listen to her crazy ranting and humor her before he flees to his bedroom for a well-deserved nap. "I think I figured that out a while ago, Satan. Thank you for reminding me."

"I'm not here to try to piece your relationship back together, fancypants. I'm just trying to let you know that you're just pushing him away and it'll only be a matter of time before he's gonna stop waiting around for you."

Kurt narrows his eyes, staring at his roommate with questionable eyes, "What in the world are you talking about?"

Santana scowls, "You and Bowties McGee fucked at the wedding. You know that and I know that. However, the entire time you were in Lima, you were riding that ass into the ground with your '_this is just friends helping friends'_ crap and Blaine was eating it up like a lovesick puppy dog because he _still loves you_."

"And your point is?"

"My point is that I think that the only reason Anderson was even going along with your plan was because he thought that maybe you'd change your mind and go running back into his open arms like they do in those stupid movies you two like to watch."

"Blaine knew how I felt that day. He knew from the get-go and from the second I landed in Lima that we were just going to be together as friends and nothing more."

"Yeah, and then you started taking him out to the movies and to dinner and bowling and all that stuff _boyfriends_ do and then you two'd have sex and make out and oh my god, it was like you were a couple again... and for you, maybe it was a hookup, but I'm pretty sure for him, it was looking like you were coming back."

"Well, then he was wrong," Kurt mumbles to himself, wrapping his hands tightly around his mug to give himself something else to focus on other than the memories of Blaine writhing beneath him, "Blaine knew what he was getting into."

"I'm sure he did. I also thought I was sure that you were going to hop a plane back to Lima after you bawled your way through _Moulin Rouge_, but I was wrong about that."

"That was a minor setback. I have Adam now."

"Sure you do... and one day, you'll wake up and realize that maybe you made a mistake and you'll go running back to Lima to win Hairgel back and you'll find that it's too late."

"Santana-"

"I'm just letting you know. Let's say I know from personal experience." That's all Santana says after that. She hops off the kitchen counter and waltzes out of the room, leaving a speechless Kurt behind her. He knows exactly what she's talking about, her still strong feelings for Brittany are written plain as day across her face and once she's out of his sight, his mind begins racing with the thoughts that maybe she's right and maybe one day he'll realize how much he still loves Blaine... and Blaine will be gone.

But, he just can't entertain those thoughts right now. _I'm with Adam now_, he tells himself over and over again as he sips his coffee. _Adam's a great guy and I deserve this. I can find love with Adam. I can._

It just may take some time.

::

Kurt's just coming in the door following a lunch date with Adam when Rachel slams into him full force and wraps her arms around his torso.

"Rachel, what-"

"There was a shooting at McKinley! It's on the news!"

All thoughts of Adam and his coffee flavored kisses go flying right out of the window when the words _shooting_ and _McKinley_ spill out of Rachel's mouth and Kurt's thoughts immediately rewire to thoughts of _Blaine Blaine Blaine Blaine Blaine._

"But Blaine-"

"I tried to call him, b-but I didn't get an answer. I tried Sam and Tina and Artie, but n-no one answered. I-" Rachel continues rambling, her words becoming jumbled with each choke of her breath. Kurt pushes past her and falls to his knees in front of the tv, eyes glued on the screen as they show helicopter footage of students being evacuated from the building, the words _Gunshots Heard at School in Lima, OH_ scrolling at the bottom of the screen.

His stomach is churning and he feels faint, but he pushes the feelings down in order to pull his phone from his back pocket. It's like he's running on auto-pilot as he dials one of the few numbers he knows by heart and waits for someone, anyone to just answering the fucking phone.

"Hi, you've reached the phone of Blaine Anderson. I'm not here to take your call right now, but please leave a message after the beep! Thanks!"

He hangs up and dials again.

"Hi, you've reached-"

And again.

"Hi, you've-"

Once more.

"Hi-"

With a choked back scream, Kurt flings his phone across the room and pulls his knees to his chest. He can't breathe, he can't see, he can't even fucking hear anything, he's so worked up, and all he can think about is what Santana said to him just days before about Blaine not being there anymore.

Except this is so much different.

He rises from the floor and storms past Rachel to head into his room. He starts throwing things into a duffle bag, carelessly tossing mismatched items in there while he debates on how he's going to get home because he just _has_ to know if Blaine's okay. He's about two seconds away from zipping up his bag when he hears the beautiful sounds of Pink's _Fucking Perfect_ trickle across the apartment and he's sprinting into the living room, diving to the floor to grab up his forgotten phone.

A picture of Blaine, smiling and beautiful and _alive_, stares back at him and he almost forgets to answer, only being snapped from his reverie when Rachel kicks at him. "Answer it!"

"Hello?! Blaine?!"

"Kurt-"

Blaine's voice is shaky and wet and_ god, he's been crying and he's probably scared_ and god, Kurt feels like the worst person on the earth right now because something could have happened to Blaine and the last memory Kurt would've had with him would've been their little spat over the phone and- _oh shit_. "Blaine? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Blaine chokes out, sniffling loudly. Kurt can imagine him wiping at his eyes with the hankerchief he keeps tucked in his shirt pocket. "I'm okay. We're all okay. No one was hurt."

"Did they catch the shooter?"

"He's been captured. He- they don't think he was shooting at anyone. They aren't too sure what he was doing actually, b-but me and the gang are sitting in the courtyard right now. We're all okay. I didn't get your calls earlier b-because I was on the phone with your dad, so I'm sorry but-"

Kurt checks out for the rest of the conversation. All he can think about is that Blaine's _okay_ and somehow he was talking to Burt earlier and Kurt's unsure of what that even _means_, but all that matters right now is that Blaine's safe and that he's alright.

"I'm glad you're okay."

"I am too." Blaine says softly. There's silence for several seconds and Kurt thinks about letting Rachel know everyone's alright, but he's too focused on the sound of Blaine's breathing. "Thank you for calling me."

"I needed to know if you were okay. You're my best friend."

Blaine does that little squeaky laugh he always does when something excites him or surprises him and Kurt's heart melts. _It's not supposed to. You're with Adam now,_ his mind supplies, but he ignores the chastizing and continues to let Blaine talk about what happened.

They talk for hours, long after Blaine is able to go home and after Santana comes bursting into the apartment, demanding to know if Brittany's okay. Kurt sings Blaine to sleep because Blaine's a little scared after the whole ordeal, no matter how composed he seemed on the outside to everybody else, and after Kurt hears the soft, sniffly snores of his ex on the other side of the line, he begrudgingly hangs up and cries himself into his own restless slumber.

::

One would think that after a scare such as that, Kurt would have sorted out his feelings, but to be honest, he didn't.

::

For days after the shooting, despite the fact that he and Blaine are talking once again, Kurt still continues to go out with Adam. He ignores the strange looks shot at him by Santana when they pass each other in the halls as he's leaving for a dinner date with Adam and he especially ignores the comments she makes while he and Adam are snuggled up on the couch watching movies and enjoying each other's company.

::

It's a full two weeks after the shooting that Kurt drags Adam into his bedroom, pulls the partition closed, and allows his boyfriend to blow him into oblivion.

It's a full ten minutes after Adam leaves that Kurt curls up into a ball and bawls over the guilt he feels in his belly after it's all over.

::

At the end of April, Kurt goes home to be with his dad while Burt has more tests done over the state of his prostate cancer. When he arrives, he's welcomed home with hugs and kisses and the first night he sleeps in his old room, he imagines every single spot he and Blaine have ever had sex on in that room. The next morning when he drives his dad to Columbus for his tests, he's surprised to find Blaine standing there in the parking lot, hands tucked into the pockets of his light spring jacket.

Burt seems incredibly happy to see him and Kurt can't deny the swoop he feels in his stomach when Blaine looks up at him and they lock eyes for the first time since Valentine's Day (well, the first time _not_ behind a computer screen.)

Neither boy speaks while Burt's having his testing done and even though the silence is uncomfortable to Blaine, Kurt finds it soothing, especially when he has all the time in the world to admire the fact that his best friend and ex-lover has been nothing but the perfect person to be there in Kurt's stead when Burt needed help. Afterwards, when Burt's tests are all done and he offers to take the boys to breakfast, Kurt wraps Blaine up in his arms and whispers his thanks into Blaine's hair, smiling when Blaine hugs him back just as tight and says, "I promised you."

::

"So how are things with you and Adam?" Blaine asks, crossing his arms behind his head.

He and Kurt are relaxing in Kurt's room, laying side by side on the bed, a movie playing listlessly in the background that neither of them are paying any attention to. Kurt is laying on his side and staring at his best friend, admiring the way Blaine's eyelashes flutter when he talks or the way his pink, full lips purse together when they're dry, right before his tongue peeks out to wet them a little.

Down below, Kurt's pants get a little tighter and he mentally wills himself to calm down. _You have a boyfriend. Blaine's your friend._

_Your friend that you're still madly in love with._

He rolls onto his stomach and rests his head on his hands, closing his eyes as he answers Blaine's question, "We're doing pretty good, I think. We've been trying out these different restaurants on this food crawl thing Adam's been all about over the last few weeks. Plus he's been taking me to see different Broadway shows and movies. It's fun."

"Sounds like a good guy," Blaine says quietly. Kurt doesn't have to open his eyes to know what kind of look is passing across his ex's face.

"He is. I like him."

"Are you guys pretty serious?"

That's a dangerous question and they both know it. A tiny burst of anger burns in Kurt's stomach when he hears it because _how dare Blaine ask that!_ That's none of his business. And maybe it's out of spite that Kurt says it, but he blurts out, "If you count amazing blowjobs as serious, then I guess you could say yes."

Beside him, Blaine stiffens and his breath stutters loudly. Kurt's eyes pop open as he realizes what he just said and he pushes himself up on his elbows at the same moment Blaine does, immediately trying to backtrack what he said, "I didn't-"

"No, no. It's cool. You two are dating and that's to be expected, right?" Blaine turns away from him for a moment and then turns back, that fucking fake smile painted on. Kurt just wants to slap it off.

That or kiss it away.

"Blaine-"

"Kurt, no, don't. I ruined us and it was bound to happen that you'd meet someone amazing in New York, someone who would sweep you off your feet and give you all the things I couldn't and-"

"Blaine, no, that's not-"

Blaine completely disregards Kurt's protests and stands up, continuing his speech as he edges to the door. "-there's no reason for you to have to explain it to me. I understand and I'm happy for you. You deserve all the best in the world, Kurt, and I hope you realize that. If Adam makes you happy, then I'm glad. I'm really glad."

Kurt throws himself over the side of the bed and rushes over to catch Blaine before the other boy can leave, but then he just stops, freezes there in the doorway as Blaine runs down the stairs and out the door, not even bothering to say goodbye to Kurt or Burt or Carole. He just leaves. As the front door slams, Burt peers around the corner and looks up at Kurt, frowning when he sees the tear tracks on his son's face.

"Are you okay, bud?"

"No," Kurt cries, dropping his head into his hands as he bawls.

That's the last time he sees Blaine while he's in Lima.

::

Before he knows it, the end of May is right around the corner and there's a box full of graduation announcements sitting in the middle of the table at the apartment. Adam is quietly reading through all of the announcements, looking at the pictures enclosed, trying to get a better look at the people who went to school with his boyfriend and new friends.

"Ahh, so this is the infamous Blaine," he states, setting a picture of a smiling snazzy looking Blaine on the table. Kurt looks away from his sudoku puzzle to stare down at the photo and when he looks closely at it, it's like his heart cracks right down the middle because there's that fucking smile again. That stupid, fake fucking _I'm hurt but I'm acting like I'm okay_ smile that Kurt hates so much and he turns away from the photo, eyes welling up over the fact that he hasn't spoken to Blaine in almost a month.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" Adam asks thoughtfully, placing a hand on top of Kurt's. It takes everything in Kurt's power to not yank his hand away – not because he _doesn't_ like Adam, but because he feels like a complete dick every time Adam does this, does something nice, and he can't find any sort of feeling in his heart that indicates that he cares for Adam as much as Adam cares for him.

"I'm fine," he lies, slowly manuevering his hand away to wipe at his eyes. Adam goes silent across from him and Kurt bites his lip. "I'm not fine."

"I didn't think so. You're not a very good liar, Kurt."

Kurt's unsure of how to react to that, so he stays quiet and allows Adam to talk.

"I haven't really said anything because I do really like you, Kurt, but the last few weeks, you just seem... off. I thought that maybe if we spent more time together, you'd start to feel the same way I do, but like I told you before, I can't compete with a fantasy and now, part of me thinks that maybe you don't want it to be a fantasy anymore. You want the real thing."

As soon as the words leave Adam's mouth, Kurt drops his head into his hands and cries, faintly nodding, giving just enough of an answer to Adam to let his boyfriend know that, yes, he was still in love with Blaine, and yes, he had tried to fall out of love, but it didn't work. Adam reaches out and takes Kurt's hand again, smiling sadly at him.

"You have to tell him, Kurt. You're only hurting yourself in the long run by not saying anything."

"I never wanted to hurt you, Adam," Kurt cries, taking both of Adam's hands into his own. "I wanted to love you, I did. I care about you a lot, but I couldn't- I couldn't stop loving Blaine. Blaine hurt me so bad and I wanted to hate him, but I know Blaine, I know that's not the person he is."

"And that's why you still love him."

"Yes. Despite what he did, I think I forgave him a long time ago. I just think I needed time to come to terms with that."

"And you did."

"I did."

Adam laughs, squeezing Kurt's hands tight within his own. "Well then, this Blaine bloke is a lucky guy to have you."

"Any guy would be lucky to have you, Adam. You've been the best boyfriend."

"Why thank you," Adam says with a blush, gently letting go of Kurt's hands to stand up from the table. "It's been a pleasure being your boyfriend."

Kurt chuckles wetly and stands as well, latching onto Adam and hugging him tight. "Why are you making this so easy? Break-ups are supposed to be harder than this."

"Well, I think it was when I saw you after you came home from your visit last month – you looked so confused and heartbroken and I knew I didn't have a chance... I just wanted to make sure though, but I knew not to get my hopes up."

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't be. You can't force yourself to love someone. You love who you love. And you," He pauses, pulling away to poke Kurt in the chest, "love Blaine."

Kurt nods and looks down, swallowing a sob when Adam finally pulls away and kisses his forehead. "I'm sorry, Adam."

"I told you: _don't be_. It's been fun, Kurt. I'll see you at Apples rehearsal, yeah?"

"Of course."

Taking that as a final answer, Adam leaves apartment and Kurt collapses to his knees, feeling terrible that he doesn't feel all that guilty over the fact that he just broke up with an amazing man.

::

Graduation for the McKinley High Class of 2013 is a _lot_ like the Class of 2012's graduation.

Kurt, Rachel, Santana, and the families of all the graduates (including the Hudmel family) sit in the bleachers and watch as the students go up and get their dipolmas. Kurt's chest swells with pride when Blaine gets his dipolma and Figgins announces him as the class' valedictorian – it's to be expected though, Blaine _was_ a Dalton man, and a smart guy overall. After everyone else gets their dipolmas, the New Directions (with the seniors on leads) sing an emotional version of Vitamin C's _Graduation_ _(Friends Forever)_ and then the group tosses their caps into the air, yells and cheers of jubilation filling the air.

As soon as everyone grabs their caps from the ground, graduates rush into the stands, bright-eyed and excited to see their families after such a big event in their life. Kurt stands off to the side and watches as Blaine bumrushes his brother Cooper and then receives hugs from both of his parents. The Anderson family takes a few pictures together and then of Blaine and his fellow grads (mainly Tina, Brittany, Artie, and Sam) and, finally, after they're done, Kurt moves forward to give his favorite graduate a hug...

And that's when he sees him...

_Sebastian Smythe_, just hovering there in the background, stylishly dressed, CW hair coiffed to perfection... and looking at Blaine like he's the most important person in the room.

_Oh_.

"Congrats, killer," Sebastian purrs as he wraps an arm around Blaine's shoulders and tugs the shorter boy to his chest. Blaine laughs – and _oh god_, his laugh – as he hugs Sebastian back and Kurt's heart shatters into a million pieces all over again.

_He's moved on._

Kurt can't move. He sees Santana give him the most pitiful look before she turns away to congratulate Brittany and he can see Sam and Tina wearily watching Blaine and Sebastian out of the corner of his eye, but it doesn't matter. _Blaine's moved on._ Biting back his tears, Kurt waits until Blaine spots him standing there among the sea of people and he almost loses it when Blaine plasters that _awful _smile on his face and steps forward to gather him into his arms.

"Kurt! I wasn't expecting you here! Thanks for coming!"

_He's moved on. He can't even smile for you anymore. You took too long, Kurt. Santana was right; Blaine wasn't going to wait forever and he didn't. He didn't wait and it's all your fault._

Blaine hugs him tightly and then pulls away, blinking up at Kurt, "Hey, you're crying. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Kurt lies, trying not to shy away when Blaine begins to wipe away the tears on his cheeks. "I'm just really proud of you, that's all."

Blaine's facial expression softens and he pulls Kurt into his arms again, sighing when they embrace once more. "Thank you, Kurt. That really means a lot to me." He pulls away again and smiles, this time a _real_ one, "I really appreciate you being here today. Thank you."

"What are friends for," Kurt says softly, trying to keep it all together when Blaine nods and then steps back. The two stare at each other for several moments before Blaine gets sucked away by the crowd of celebrating people and as soon as he's gone, Santana sidles up to Kurt and wraps an arm around his waist.

"For what it's worth. I don't think Blaine and Fievel Mousekewitz will last very long at all."

"You were right. You were right all along and I didn't listen to you and I lost him. I lost him to the fucking guy who almost blinded him last year and I _don't know how_."

Santana tightens her grip on Kurt's waist and leads him from the gymnasium, away from the crowds of noisy people, and out into the parking lot. It's quiet, the springtime sunshine fading away as the wind whips around them. It's probably going to rain soon. _Fitting,_ Kurt thinks to himself, considering how much he wants to bawl his eyes out. _Rain will make it easier to hide the tears. _Beside him, Santana sighs and Kurt watches as Sam and Brittany come running into the parking lot, hands locked together as they laugh and goof off. Behind them come Artie and Tina who are talking to some of the newer members of New Directions, and behind that group are Blaine and Sebastian, who are walking a little too close for comfort.

Kurt's chest tightens and his throat locks up as he watches Sebastian place a hand on the small of Blaine's back. "I was going to tell him I still love him today. I was going to surprise him. I didn't think this was going to happen."

"Well, you did tell him you and the British Boy Wonder were bumping uglies. What were you expecting?"

"I thought he'd wait."

"You were stupid to think so."

"I know," Kurt wipes away some more tears and watches Blaine playfully shove Sebastian away. It's only then that he notices a few of the other Warblers walking with him and he wonders to himself when that happened – when did Blaine and the Warbler guys become friends again? "I think I just realized how much I missed in his life."

Santana raises an eyebrow, her lips pursing together in question. "What in the world are you babbling about?"

"Blaine... so much has happened in his life and I had no idea. Other than what you and Rachel have told me, I didn't even know most of the other stuff. But he knew about me. We always talked about my life and I don't think we ever really talked about his."

"And I care about this how?"

"You don't. I was just thinking to myself." _Thinking to myself that maybe I wasn't that great of a boyfriend either. Thinking to myself that maybe I hurt Blaine as much as he hurt me._ Sniffling, Kurt shies away from Santana and turns away from the scene before him, his heart aching way too much to be watching Blaine look at Sebastian like _that_. "Do you really think they'll last very long?"

"Well, I heard they went to prom together. But... nah, I give it a week or two tops." Santana says, but with her tone of voice, Kurt wonders if maybe she's lying to herself as well. He ignores it.

"Well he'd better not hurt him," he whispers, walking away from everybody to head to his dad's truck. He knows Santana's staring at him, he knows his dad is probably looking for him and is most likely worried about him, and he's sure Rachel is thinking to herself that they should have stayed in New York for their own sanities, but as he walks, feeling the light splats of cold rain on his face, he resigns himself to the fact that he was too late, that he missed his chance.

_He moved on._

As he walks away, he doesn't catch Blaine watching him from a distance, the hazel eyes that once glimmered with so much hope slowly dimming the farther away Kurt goes.

* * *

**A/N:**** This story has been stuck in my head for weeks and it just had to be written (sorry for those of you who have been waiting for updates of my other stuff - my muse isn't working for anything else right now even though I've tried, I swear.) It didn't come out the way I wanted it to, but this'll do. I hope you liked it. Let me know what you thought!**


	2. Blaine

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Glee, nor am I associated with it or RIB. Actually, I just don't own anything - none of the songs or tv shows mentioned in this fic. There we go.

**I Love You Came Too Late**

By: xSlythStratasfaction

Pairings: slight Klaine/Kadam/Seblaine

Warning: This story contains some harsh language and mentions of sexual situations. SPOILER ALERT for episodes after 4x15 (some parts based on rumored spoilers as well.) Title is based on a song by Joey McIntyre. TRIGGER WARNING for mentions of a school shooting.

* * *

"Adam and I have decided to be exclusive."

Blaine's heart drops down to his feet. He never imagined Kurt saying _that_ when he answered the Skype call earlier, but the words slip out and it's like a million daggers to his heart. _I wonder if that's what Kurt felt when I told him about me and Eli_. He looks down at his lap for a moment and wishes he were anywhere else, but then he remembers Kurt just sitting there watching him, so he looks up and spouts off an answer he's sure Kurt will accept.

He smiles too, but he doesn't really want to think about that because it's probably the most painful thing he's done in the last few weeks and he probably looks ridiculous, but whatever.

Kurt's saying something back to him and Blaine catches the gist of it, so he answers accordingly, all while his mind is racing to think of a way to just disappear for a moment.

He can feel the tears welling in his eyes and his lips feel like they're being dragged downward by a thousand strings; he has to get away _fast_ before he completely loses it and makes a fool of himself. _Think Blaine. Think, think, think._

Out of the corner of his eye, he spots his cellphone and immediately his mind goes to his mother, who has been downstairs cooking dinner for the last hour or so. As discreetly as possible, Blaine texts '_holler for me please asap'_ to her and prays that she gets it. It's only seconds later when her voice travels up the stairs and to his ears.

"Blaine! Dinner's ready!"

"Coming, mom!" He yells back, thankful that she understood his plea. He begins spitting out excuses to Kurt, listening as his ex asks him to remain online just a little bit longer, but Blaine _can't._ The backs of his eyes are burning, his throat is getting tighter, and he just feels sick, so with a final excusing goodbye (or at least he thinks he said something like that – he can't be sure, he was too far gone to remember), he logs off of Skype and shuts his laptop, dropping his head into his hands right away.

It takes him a few minutes to compose himself – he didn't cry too much, and _that_ was a feat within itself – and heads downstairs, dodging the questioning looks from his mom as he steps into the kitchen and goes to help her stir whatever's boiling on the stove. He's two stirs in when he feels his mom's arm slide around his waist and her lips pressed against his cheek.

"You look like you need some strong coffee," she whispers, using her free hand to slide a steaming cup towards him. He takes one look at her and smiles sadly, graciously accepting the drink from her with a kiss before he flees to the living room.

He's incredibly grateful that she doesn't ask him why his eyes are red and puffy or why he needed her to text him so quickly.

Sometimes she really can be an awesome mom.

::

For weeks, Blaine cannot bring himself to even think about Kurt.

Of course, he's lying when he says Kurt's not on his mind 24/7, but it's easier to fake it than try to accept the fact that he's probably never, ever going to get over Kurt Hummel. In fact, the more he thinks about Kurt, the more foolish he feels that he's even ignoring his ex... because _he's_ the one who got them into this mess, got _himself_ into this mess. _Blaine's _the one who cheated, _he's_ the one who caused them to break up. And now Kurt's seeing this other guy and _Blaine's_ the jealous one.

_Please._

::

School is difficult.

There's a million different places or things are McKinley that remind him of Kurt. Certain spots in the auditorium take him back to stolen kisses or whispered promises. That one corner table in the lunchroom reminds him of shared cookies and jokes about whipped cream. God, everything in that damn school relates back to Kurt, and sometimes Blaine finds himself missing Dalton (_but there are memories there too, Blaine_, his brain adds and he suddenly doesn't miss Dalton anymore.)

It's because of these memories that Blaine finds himself trying to bide his time by busying himself as much as possible. Along with the various clubs he's involved in, he starts to take on more responsibilities around the house and what not. He tells his parents – after his father's meltdown over the phone calls he received about their ruined credit – that he'll do whatever he can to make it up to them, so he spends the afternoon running errands for his mother or sorting paperwork for his dad. He cleans the house daily, vacuuming and dusting and even cooking dinner, which is new to him, since Kurt was usually the one who cooked, but since Blaine's trying to not think about his ex, he busies himself by whipping up random foods and hoping they are edible.

Another thing he's been doing is getting coffee at his old haunt back near Dalton, the Westerville Whip, and it's during one of those trips that he's runs into an old... acquiantance.

Literally, he just runs right smack dab into him.

Of course, he would accidentally open the door and hit someone with it – that's what he gets for talking on the phone to Sam about the fact that Netflix just added a whole bunch of superhero shows. He hasn't even stepped into the shop when he hears someone hiss in front of him and his immediate reaction is to hang up on Sam and check on the person he's bumped with the door.

"Oh my god, are you alright?" He asks, terrified that the person on the other side has been brutally burnt by hot coffee. Imagine his surprise when he looks up and finds none other than Sebastian Smythe staring down at him, a dark stain spreading across his white button down shirt. "Sebastian?"

"Well if it isn't Blaine Anderson," Sebastian says, voice low and dangerous. He doesn't seem too phased having just been burnt by a cup of hot coffee.

Blaine, on the other hand, is mortified. Right away, he rushes to the counter and grabs up a dozen napkins to bring back to Sebastian, offering them to the taller boy with a rush of apologies spilling from his lips.

Later on, he'll be asking himself what the hell was he thinking apologizing to the guy who temporarily blinded his ass last year and who ruined the Warblers with steroids, but in that moment, nothing else mattered except seeing if the person _he_ caused to spill coffee on themself is okay.

::

The afternoon he causes Sebastian to spill coffee on his blazer is the day that everything seems to change.

All of a sudden, he and Sebastian become friends again. It's not really an overnight thing, but it does happen pretty quickly and while Blaine never imagined to become besties with the guy who basically ruined his eyesight over a year ago, he's thankful for the distraction Sebastian brings. Not once during their limited phone conversations does Blaine feel like he's the worst human being on the planet. Instead, he feels numb, which is a much more welcome feeling than the ache he had been feeling the last several months.

Who would've thought being completely numb could be a good thing?

::

Blaine's time as a Cheerio brings him the worst kind of dilemma.

For one, he's in pain _all the time _(cheerleading is _so_ a sport, he will go to his grave saying it) and two, there are some days when Sue Sylvester's actions make him want to pick up his phone and tell Kurt and he realizes that he _can't._ On those days, he sits and stares at his phone and hates himself more than ever.

Because he did this. He ruined them and no matter how many times Sam or Tina or even Sebastian tell him he's not a bad person... he _is._

::

The day someone shoots a gun in McKinley High School, Blaine fears that he'll become one of those faces you see in a memorial that plays on millions of tv screens around the nation.

He hates that _that_ is the first thought that runs through his mind, but he's _scared_, fucking _terrified_, as he and Sam explode from their seats in the choir room and immediately go about barricading the door. He's immensely proud of his teammates when the younger guys start to lock up Schuester's office and the girls go about moving furniture in the room to hide behind. Within minutes, the club is crouched down on the floor and silent, waiting for whoever may be roaming the halls to just _leave_. When Joe begins to pray, no one hushes him and everyone lays quiet, some joining in with Joe's prayers and others hoping that no one else gets hurt.

It's over an hour later (an hour after the one and only shot fired goes off) that policemen come pounding on the door and the club leaves the school to sit in the courtyard. Tina is bawling her eyes out, clinging to him like a lifeforce, and Blaine's just realizing that his phone (which had been in his backpocket the whole time) had been vibrating like crazy during the whole ordeal.

There are several missed calls from Burt, his mom, Sebastian, and some of the other guys at Dalton, but the main name that pops up on his radar is: _Kurt._

He's two seconds away from calling Kurt back when Burt's name creeps up on his screen and Blaine instantly answers, almost bursting into tears when the first words out of Burt's mouth are, "_Oh thank god!_"

Burt's talking to him and he sounds like he's crying and Blaine feels like his heart's going to swell out of his chest and all of a sudden, he's crying too. It's like he can't help it, the tears just start falling. But, the entire time Mr. Hummel is speaking, Blaine's mind is completely on another Hummel, one who he needs to speak to like _now_ before he trembles so much that he can't even hold his phone. After a few minutes of soothing Burt's nerves, he says goodbye and calls Kurt back.

"Hello?! Blaine?!"

The fear in Kurt's voice makes Blaine want to cry right then and there, but he doesn't. All he can do is try to calm Kurt down and let him know everything's okay – and he does. And when Kurt says that he just _needed_ to know if he was alright because Blaine's his best friend, it's like the flame of the candle that Blaine still holds for their relationship grows.

Kurt still cares. He still loves him, he has to.

And later on that night, when the events of the day _finally_ catch up to Blaine and he just starts sobbing into the phone, Kurt is there to calm him down, singing into the phone and sitting there just talking to Blaine as he struggles to fall asleep, the horrors of the afternoon plaguing his mind.

The very last memories he has of that day before he falls asleep are of Kurt's sweet voice singing, "_If we hold on together..._"

::

After the shooting and after McKinley opens back up, Blaine and Kurt continue to talk. Kurt doesn't bring up Adam anymore, which confuses Blaine a little, but he doesn't say anything just in case things aren't going too well between the two of them. Also, why should he say anything – it's not his business, right?

Though if Blaine were to be completely honest, he'd say he just doesn't think his heart can take it to even know right now.

::

Sebastian, despite being one of the strangest people Blaine has ever known, is slowly starting to become a decent guy in Blaine's book.

He doesn't (surprisingly) make any rude remarks to Blaine about Kurt, minus the one time he seriously looked Blaine in the eyes and asked, "Are you really planning on waiting for him to come back to you even after he started seeing somebody else?" At that time, Blaine didn't have an answer, but Sebastian knew what he was thinking without even getting a response.

That was the last time he brought up Kurt and for that, Blaine was eternally grateful.

::

Despite his blooming friendship with the flirty Sebastian and the weird crush he had on Sam, Blaine's heart still fully belonged to Kurt. Tina would continuously ask him if anything was going on between him and Sebastian and Blaine would just roll his eyes every single time.

"Sebastian's not Kurt," he'd say and Tina would move on, only to ask him a day or two later.

But it didn't bother him. He and Sebastian wouldn't be anything but friends; Blaine was still waiting for Kurt, waiting to see if Kurt would ever come back to him. It was only a matter of time in Blaine's eyes. Like, what kind of person would come home, have sex (multiple times) with their ex over the course of a weekend, treat said ex like an actual boyfriend, and yet _not_ have feelings for said ex? Sure, Kurt had said multiple times that their hookup was nothing but the two of them helping each other out and as much as it hurt Blaine to hear Kurt say that about their love making escapades, he sort of understood the whole situation.

_Sort of._

Kurt wasn't ready for them to become a _them _again. But Blaine would wait.

He would wait until Kurt told him not to... which he hoped never, ever happened.

::

April is about to come to an end the next time Blaine sees Kurt.

Burt happens to mention that he's got some pretty important testing coming up and Blaine takes that as a hint to tag along to the hospital, like he has been ever since Burt told him about the cancer. The day he sees Kurt step out of Burt's truck in that Columbus hospital parking lot, Blaine's heart swoops and he realizes that's he's still madly in love with Kurt.

So, so in love.

Then later that night, after a wonderful brunch with the Hudmel family, Kurt and Blaine lay on Kurt's bed and talk about things and Blaine makes the stupid decision to ask Kurt about how serious his relationship with Adam is.

He gets this in response: "If you count amazing blowjobs as serious, then I guess you could say yes."

He wishes he never asked.

::

Kurt goes home not long after that awful night in his bedroom when he revealed to Blaine that he and Adam have gotten pretty close.

_Kurt's moved on. It's over._

Blaine spends the rest of that weekend in his room, taking all things Kurt-related and shoving them into a box to hide in his closet. He hasn't decided if he's going to just throw them out later or keep them as a reminder of the love _he_ lost.

_It is his fault after all._

The week following, he boxes... and boxes and boxes until he barely breathe and once everything hurts.

Even the pain of his throbbing knuckles and his burning lungs aren't as bad as the pain of his shattered heart.

::

New Directions loses Regionals and Blaine's not surprised. The weeks before with the shooting really shook the group up and things went haywire after that. Many members of the group (mainly the seniors) realized that things were changing and that they were about to head off into the world, so they began to buckle down with their friends and family and what not; the younger kids banded together and tried to shake off the ever present fear of something else happening at McKinley... and no one really recovered from that.

So, when the judges announce the Crawford Country Day Canaries as the winners, Blaine applauds happily and lets them take it.

It's not like he really cares to sing and dance right now anyway.

::

They bring in Roz Washington to help Sue out with the Cheerios and Blaine's a little bit scared of her, but he deals with it because the Nationals competition for cheerleading is in a few days, not to mention prom, _and_ his NYADA audition after that.

He doesn't even want to think about prom, but then Tina's pestering him about it and saying it would be good for him to get out and have fun and he agrees with her just to get her to leave him alone, as awful as it sounds. However, he doesn't agree to be her date, which is funny because she doesn't ask – instead she's going with Mike, who surprisingly is back to take her (which actually when he thinks about it, isn't too shocking at all considering Mike and Mercedes came back to try and help them with Regionals prep.) So, Blaine, with a push from a few other members of New Directions ("_You need to quit moping over Kurt, Blaine. He's moved on, so should you!_"), goes to the Lima Bean one afternoon and asks Sebastian to prom... as _friends_, of course.

Sebastian says yes and Blaine is actually relieved.

And when prom rolls around and Sebastian shows up on Blaine's doorstep dressed immaculately, with a red boutonniere to match Blaine's vest, Blaine feels happier than he has in weeks.

By the time the night is over and Sebastian's walking him to his front door, Blaine realizes that for the first time in forever, he's actually had a good time... at the hands of _Sebastian_, no less.

Then Sebastian kisses him and Blaine kisses back and when they pull away, guilt eats at him like an internal fire and he can't get away fast enough.

Because he's still not over Kurt and he don't know if he ever will be.

::

The early weeks of May come in like a lion, like the saying for _March_ says.

It rains nonstop for days, storming like a madman and flooding low leveled areas. Blaine's sick of the rain, sick of sloshing through the water and getting his feet soaked, but part of him likes the ever present storming. The thunder that booms in the background reminds him of his own inner turmoil.

Honestly, he's in his final weeks of his _senior year of high school_, something that he never imagined he'd see, especially with the crap he dealt with during his _first_ sophomore year, back when a few of his classmates decided to beat the living daylights out of him and a friend for going to a _dance_ together. But now, he's getting ready to graduate and just today he learned that he's valedictorian and... he really doesn't care.

He's still confused over that kiss with Sebastian and he's still aching from the loss of Kurt and even though he won Nationals with the Cheerios (and knocked one Sue Sylvester down a few notches in the process) and his NYADA audition went pretty well, he's just exhausted. Most days, all he wants to do is curl up in a ball in his bed and sleep away the rest of the year. But then he remembers his obligations and his promises and he pulls himself out of bed to start another day.

One Friday, he comes home and finds Sebastian sitting on his porch. The other boy looks up at him with a look Blaine has seen before – a look that was worn the day he, Kurt, Santana, and Brittany went storming into the Lima Bean to have a chat with a certain Mr. Smythe. It's a look of regret, and as soon as Blaine comes to stand in front of Sebastian, his friend says, "I'm sorry," and Blaine tugs him into his arms.

"I'm the one who should be sorry," he whispers into Sebastian's shoulders and from there, things change.

Sebastian agrees to remain friends and that's really all Blaine can ask for right now – let alone do. His heart is still mending, forming back together piece by piece like a puzzle (_my missing puzzle piece, I'm complete_, he thinks sometimes, breaking his heart all over again), and he's really not ready to give it to another person, not right now. So, when Sebastian says he'll wait, Blaine tells him he doesn't have to, but for some odd reason, he feels like this newer, kinder Sebastian _will_.

::

When graduation rolls around, things get busy.

Blaine's speech is all written out and rehearsed. Poor Sebastian had to listen to it a million times, but he seemed to like it and Blaine's parents seemed to like it, so Blaine leaves it alone and just goes with the flow on what is (right now) the biggest day of his life. Luckily for him, he gets through the speech easily and after getting his dipolma and singing his final song with New Directions, he's ready for a long, well-deserved break.

And then he sees Kurt.

It wasn't like he wasn't expecting Kurt to be there – hell, it was _his_ school first and he has a lot of friends graduating, but when Blaine spots Kurt standing there, looking so goddamn sexy and grown-up and amazing, he feels his heart stop. Kurt waits for Sebastian to congratulate him (and god, does he not look amused that Sebastian's there) before he catches Blaine's eye and all Blaine can do in that moment is try to smile (because the bile that is rising in his throat is about to choke him) before he pulls his ex into a hug.

He and Kurt make small talk and Kurt looks wrecked, like someone's ruined his day, but Blaine just can't put his finger on it. He takes a quick sweep of the room and doesn't see anyone who looks like the dude he's seen tagged in Rachel Berry's facebook photos (the infamous Adam), so it can't be that, but he just doesn't know.

Then Kurt says that he's proud of him and Blaine's heart throbs painfully in his chest because _whoa_ memories, but he can't let himself go there, not since Kurt's someone else's man now. So, he thanks Kurt and smiles and hugs him genuinely before he pulls away. The two of them stare at each other, so many things unsaid between them, before Blaine gets pulled away by his Dalton buddies and Kurt disappears.

Blaine doesn't think much of it (he's lying, Kurt's sad expression and disappearing act plagues him) and he and his friends head on out of the building, their parents and siblings trailing behind them as they all head off to their own graduation parties or celebratory dinners. On his way out of the school, Sebastian places a hand on the small of Blaine's back and Blaine blushes, wondering to himself if maybe Sebastian is trying to make a claim on him since Kurt's around. He shoves his friend away and rolls his eyes when Sebastian mumbles something about him being ungrateful and then the Dalton boys get into it and everyone begins to joke.

Blaine's almost at his father's car when he hears Burt ask, "Has anyone seen Kurt?"

He looks up and lets his gaze travel across the busy parking lot, squinting when some big, fat ice cold raindrops smack him in the face; across the way stands Kurt, but his posture is defeated. He's walking with his arms crossed tightly over his chest and he's hunched over.

And Blaine wants to go to him. _Now._

"Oh there he is," Burt exclaims, waving Carole and Finn to where Kurt is walking towards the truck. The Hudmel family stops to offer Blaine their congratulations and then they go on their way and leave him behind.

He doesn't heard a word they say, being too preoccupied. He doesn't even feel Sebastian's hand on his elbow, doesn't hear his parents telling him to hurry to the car, all he sees is Kurt walking away from him... again.

A long time ago, he was sure Kurt was going to come back to him. After their rendevous at the wedding, Blaine thought that he and Kurt were going to fall back into place; of course, not without a million apologies from Blaine, but he thought it was going to happen... and then Kurt moved on.

It wasn't something that Blaine thought was in the cards. It was his biggest fear, yet it wasn't something he saw happening, but it did. Kurt moved on and it hurt more than anything else in the world.

_I hope you're happy with him_, he thought as he watched Kurt climb into the truck. _All I want is for you to be happy, even if it's not with me. You deserve the best, Kurt. You deserve some happiness._

Blinking against the wet, cold wind, Blaine smiles sadly and takes Sebastian's hand, walking the rest of the way to his mother's car, the rain gently washing away the tears that stain his face. He takes one last look at Kurt, watching as the Hummels' truck pulls out of the parking lot and he whispers softly, barely audible among the chatter and the sound of the wind:

"Goodbye, Kurt."

* * *

**A/N:**** A pox on my house, you say? Dishonor on my cow? I'm sorry, guys! Some of you (on here and on Tumblr) wanted to see Blaine's POV and for a while, I told myself I wasn't going to write it because I was satisfied with the first chapter I posted, but then I decided to tell Blaine's side of the story as well, so there we go. I don't like it as much as I like Kurt's, but I hope you guys like it. Let me know what you thought please! I love reading your thoughts, whether they be OMG I LOVE IT or I HATE YOU DISHONOR ON YOUR FAMILY! Thanks for reading!**


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